Leather boot or shoe.



PATBNTED JUNE 9, 1908.

G. E. MOQQRMAcK. LEATHER BOOT 0R SHOE.

APPLIGATION FILED FEB. 28, 1903.

N0 MODEL.

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UNITED STATES Patented June 9, 1903.

PATENT OFFICE.

GEORGE E. MCGORMACK, OF EAST BRIDGEVVATER, MASSACHUSETTS,

ASSIGNOR OF ONEHALF TO GEORGE E. ROLLINS, OF EAST BRIDGE- WATER,MASSACHUSETTS.

LEATHER BOOT OR SHOE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 730,555, dated June 9,1903.

Application filed February 28,1903. Serial Flo-146,473. (No model.)

To o whom it may concern:

Be itknown thatLGEoRGE E. MCCORMACK, a citizen of the United States,residing in East Bridgewater, in the county of Plymouth and State ofMassachusetts, have invented a new and useful Improvement in LeatherBoots or Shoes, of which the following is a specification.

, This invention relates particularly to weltshoes; and it has for itsprincipal object to provide means. for preventing the adjacent surfacesof the outer sole and welt at the instep or shank of the shoe fromrubbing together or chafing as the instep bends, and thus wearing off orbreaking the stitches.

In order to accomplish this result, I provide at the instep, between thewelt and the outer sole next and substantially flush with the outeredges on each side, spacers or layers of rubber or equivalent elasticsoft material,

through which the stitching extends and within which the knots orlooking portions of the stitches are located. By this means the outersole and welt are prevented from rubbing or chafing, there is noshearing edge to cut the stitches, and inasmuch as there is aconsiderable space between the outer sole and welt, which is occupied bythe spacer, the stitches in the course of relative movement of said soleand welt do not bend suddenly at or nearly at right angles, but at veryobtuse angles, as they extend from thefwelt through the spacer to thesole.

The nature of the invention is fully described below and illustratedinthe accompanying drawings, in which- Figure 1 is a side view of a shoeembodying my invention. Fig. 2 is a bottom view of the same, a portionof the outer sole and heel being broken out. Fig. 3 is a cross verticalsection taken .on line 3, Fig. 2. Fig. 4 is a vertical section along theline of stitching, taken on line 4, Fig. 2.

Similar letters'of reference indicate corresponding parts.

a represents the outer sole, 1) the welt, and c the upper, allconstructed as usual.

(1 represents the line of stitching.

At the instep, between the welt andthe outer sole and flush with theirouter edges on each side of the shoe, I provide an intermediate layer orspacer e of rubber or equivalent elastic soft material, such as felt,each of said spacers extending from the outer edge inward through andbeyond the line of stitching, substantially as indicated in Figs. 2 and3. The spacers extend for a sulficient distance toward the heel and toeto practically include and protect those portions of the lines ofstitching in which there is relative movement of the outer sole and weltas the instep or shank bends. The spacers may extend inward as farasdesired, and their inner edges and ends grow gradually thinner insection, being beveled or skived for that purpose. When the shoe issewed, the stitches (1 extend from the welt I) through the spacers einto the outer sole or, andthe knot or look of each stitch is embeddedin this soft-rubber spacer.

When the shoe is used and the instep bends, there is no chafing orrubbing of the stitch between the adjacent surfaces of the welt andouter sole, as said surfaces are kept a suffi cient distance apart bythe spacers. Hence there is practically no shearing edge to cut thestitch. Moreover, by reason of the thickness of the spacers the efiecton the stitch of any relative movement of the outer sole and welt is tomerely bend the portion of Y the stitch which is within the spacer at aslight angle, it being evident that there can be no sharp right-angularbend, as is thecase when the adjacent surfaces of the welt and outersole are in contact. The efiect of the cushioning-spa'cer on the stitchis to prevent friction and to prevent its being worn down or severed bya rubbing or chafing process, and the general efiect on the shoe is toimpart flexibility and keep out moisture.

Having thus fully described my invention,

what I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

In a boot or shoe of the character described, the combination with theouter sole and welt, of a spacer consisting of a layer of rubber orequivalent elastic soft material, said spacer being located at theinstep between the outer g I I 730,555

sole and welt and extending substantially name to this specification inthe presence of from the outer edges thereof across and be twosubscribing Witnesses.

yond the line of stitching the stitches extending through said spa-eeland with their GEORGE MCCORMACK' 5 knots or locks embedded therein, forthe pur- Witnesses:

pose set forth. HENRY W. WILLIAMS,

In testimony whereof I have signed my A. N. BONNEY.

